Mavericks Forecast: Gnarley Waves

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Big wave surfers may not have to wait long for the 2009 Mavericks Surf Contest.

Updated at 11:51 AM PST on Monday, Jan 12, 2009

Big wave surfers may not have to wait long for the 2009 Mavericks Surf Contest.

A gale spawned off the coast of Japan late last week is making a beeline for the Hawaiian islands.

If it stays on course, it will hurtle waves toward Northern California with the potential for 40 foot waves on Friday or Saturday.

Once the contest start is announced, surfers have 48 hours to get to Half Moon Bay and surf the waves.

24 surfers have been invited to paritcipate. They will be notified 24 hours before the competition.

The contest window is open until March 31.

Since the contest began in 1999, the competition has always happened after January 1, he said, and as late as March 3.

Since the contest began in 1999, the competition has always happened after January 1, he said, and as late as March 3.

Regardless of the time frame, weather remains "a concern every year," for Clark. Two years ago the ocean failed to produce sufficient waves and Clark never called the contest.

"You never know what Mother Nature is going to give you," he said. "We'll just keep our fingers crossed and our eyes focused on every storm and swell to see if she'll give us a good day."

The season has already produced some optimal conditions. On November 29 and 30 the waves were so high that several Mavericks competitors skipped a major surfing competition in Oregon, Clark said, to surf Maverick. Many participants are local, but others come in from Hawaii and South Africa.

Clark will be tracking wind and water conditions even more closely than usual from his surf shop in Half Moon Bay. While traditional weather forecasters focus on air conditions, Clark is mainly concerned with its impact on water.

"When I see that a storm made an impression in the water and is pointed towards, us I can follow it via satellite image and buoys," he explained.